When is the right time to start building an email list?

Start building your email list immediately—the biggest regret many successful artists have is not starting sooner. If you could go back 10-15 years, you’d start collecting emails from day one. Every person you meet at a show, every sale you make, every inquiry you receive should result in capturing an email address. The email list becomes the foundation of your long-term business, allowing you to reach customers directly without relying on social media algorithms or other platforms. As you build your collector base through years of in-person events and consistent marketing, that email list becomes increasingly valuable. It’s the asset that sustains your business as you transition from grinding at shows to more leverage-based marketing. Don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’ or ‘professional enough’—start collecting emails today.

---

Asked by artists at any career stage · Answered by Johnny Adolphson and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-12-14